Category: Gadgets

There were rumors going around the Android 2.4 version would be including features of Android 3.0, codenamed Honeycomb. Now, there are fresh rumors doing rounds that the Android 2.4 which was rumored to be codenamed Ice cream Sandwich would be released in the month of April. There is no news if Android 2.4 would be codenamed Ice cream Sandwich as rumored, but it has come to light that 2.4 is going to retain the Gingerbread flavour. Apparently the American company Viewsonic would be the first phone to come with Android 2.4. Viewsonic’s Viewpad 4 will be the first device to be launched with the 2.4 version of the Google phone OS.

If this was to happen, Viewpad 4 will be the first single core smartphone that will be able to run Honeycomb apps on it. So, what we reported about Android 2.4 experiencing Honeycomb would be coming true.

Sony wants to make its PSP 2 or NGP (Next generation Portable) a much wanted addition to its gaming consoles than just be a second fiddle to PS3. At a recent event that was held in UK, Sony has persuaded its game developers to develop cross-platform games that can run on the NGP as well as the PS3 alike. Sony has also announced that all the PS3 games can be played on the new NGP (which will be released sometime this year) without the slightest change in graphics.

According to rumors, NGP can be used over the Wi-Fi to implement cloudsaving, meaning any game that is on standby mode on the PS3 can be accessed on the NGP using Wi-Fi and the game can also be saved. Although many are worried that the launch of several new smartphones could cause a hindrance to NGP, Sony is confident that the HD technology on NGP cannot be touched.

The prototype of Sony NGP was unveiled last week in Tokyo and it was evident that Sony was coming up with its answers to Nintendo’s 3DS. Also called the PSP2, it was earlier rumored that this second generation PSP was going to be priced at 300$. But now, fresh rumors are doing rounds and there is a talk about Sony quoting two different prices for the NGP.

According to the rumors, the Sony NGP will have both Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi and 3G versions. While the former is rumored to cost 300$, the latter would be priced at 350$. There have been no official listings of prices yet from Sony, but the rumors seem reasonable enough. If we take a look back in time, Sony has always launched its consoles at a very high price.

This is official. Sony Inc. has announced the launch of its Xperia Play on the 13th of February. This announcement has been made by Sony on their facebook page and there has also an advertisement that confirms the same. Sony Ericsson Xperia play is the new generation smartphone from Sony which will run on Google’s Android OS. This phone would also be the first smartphone that can be used to play older playstation games of Sony’s.

This is the first time ever that Ericsson has teamed up with Playstation for building a phone, despite both the groups belong to Sony. This phone would come with a buit-in PSP module, a 4″ touch display and Qualcomm MSM 8655 chipset. So, we can now be confident that the Xperia Play is going to be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress at Barcelona.

The launch date of the new Motorola Xoom is nearing – February 24. Motorola Xoom adevrtisement was also launched yesterday at the Super Bowl. The advertisement was a clear dig at Apple’s walled garden and its products. The advertisement promises that Xoom is “The Tablet to Create a Better World“. But, is it really?

For all the people who have watched the advertisement, you might have observed that along the one minute duration of the ad, you mostly see people dressed in white rather than the actual features of Xoom and in what way it is a better tablet when compared to any other. Also, it is being rumored that the Motorola tablet is going to be priced at 800$. Agreed that it has got 32 GB memory, two cameras and 4G LTE, but 800$?

Another flying rumor about Xoom is its Wi-Fi, which according to sources would only function when you subscribe to a Verizon data plan. Hello Moto! How do you plan to create a better world with so many constraints?

The past few weeks have been abuzz with rumors about the specifications of Xoom, several other Android Honeycomb tablets and of course the iPad 2. Amidst all these, we have some more new Apple iPad 2 rumors. If the new buzz were to come true, the second generation iPad will be having NFC (Near Field Communication) chips, a carbon fiber body and the most exaggerated of all is the availability of a 7″ tablet.

The unnamed sources who are involved with the iPad 2 production along with the Chinese manufacturers have revealed the above mentioned specs of iPad 2. Coming to the rumored specs, all of them seem to be exciting and look to add more to the simple to use Apple tablet. But of all, the last spec seems to be far fetched as Steve Jobs himself condemned the making of 7″ tablets and also has stressed that 10″ is a standard for tablets.

The launch of iPad by Apple has led all the other manufacturers to join the cat and mouse race in the production of the next tablet. ASUS which already showcased four tablets of its own at the Consumer Electronic Show at Las Vegas this year, is rumored to be having a surprise in store this year. Rumors about the launch of iPad 2 are circulating at a full swing which is actually instilling fear into major opponents.

ASUS CEO Jonney Shih, although maintains that his company has a secret weapon that can go head on with iPad 2. So, it looks like ASUS has a fifth tablet in the making that is being hidden from the world. Shih has not disclosed any more information about the fifth tablet and one can only expect a few more facts only in the future as the launch date draws near.

It is pretty evident that Samsung will be unveiling the successor of Galaxy Tab at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Now, a few enthusiasts have gone a step further and also released the specifications of the Galaxy S2, Galaxy Tab’s successor. Now that Samsung has also released a teaser, tablet users around the world are eager to see what the Samsung Galaxy S2 would look like and what improvements have been made to the Galaxy Tab.

The rumored specifications are as follows-

Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS

1.2GHz Orion dual core processor

4.5″ AMOLED plus display

1.3 megapixel camera (front)

8.0 megapixel rear camera with flash

Bluetooth 3.0

32GB expandable memory

Micro USB

built in NFC (Near Field Communication) Chips

So, if rumors were to come true, these would be the new features of Galaxy S2. Let’s wait for the MWC for the truth.

Anyone looking to buy an Android tablet, better hang on. Android 2.3 or as codenamed Honeycomb is just around the corner and there is no point in investing in Android tablets just yet. Right now, there are five tablets in the market that run on the Android OS. But, as a matter of fact, none of these tablets guarantee the same rich experience that an iPad can.

The five Android tablets now available in the market are-

Cherrypal Cherrypad

Coby Krios MID7015 Internet Touchscreen Tablet

Dell Streak 7

Samsung Galaxy Tab

Viewsonic Viewpad 7

Apparently all the above mentioned tablets possess both hardware and software issues like low resolution, improper touchscreen sensitivity, limited apps et. Not that, these tablets are entirely US, but they are no match iPad.

So, anyone looking to buy Android tablets better wait for the Honeycomb versions to come out. The first one in this breed would be the Motorola Xoom which will be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress this month.

The Motorola Atrix release date has been confirmed as 6th March, if not earlier by the telecom giant AT&T. The pre-orders for the same will start on February 13. AT&T would be selling the new 4G smartphone from Motorola at 200$, provided the customers also take a service contract of two years. If the customers are prepared to spend another 300$, AT&T will also provide them with the Motorola dock which can be used to power a full scale laptop using the Atrix handset.

Atrix boasts of features and specifications that include a 1GHz processor, 1 GB RAM and 16GB internal storage which can be further extended to 48GB using the SD slot. Although, the most anticipated accessory with the Atrix is the dock which comes with USB ports, a keyboard and a screen.

Looks like laptop producers are going to have a tough time ahead with these new gadgets taking over the computing market as well.